Wrap a base coat of thread stopping partially down bend of hook. Pull a biot from the strip of feathers (don't cut it) and tie it in with the dimple on the base of the feather towards the eye of the hook. Wrap the biot forward and tie off. Tie in a piece of peacock herl, wrap 3-5 turns then tie off.

If you reverse the direction of the dimple on the biot you will get a smooth body, rather than the ribbed look.

Snowshoe hair is one of my favorite materials. I tie it under a softhackle to give a bubble when it is under water or with a false cast and you have a floating fly. The grey underfur works great as a post for parachute BWO and without the hackle you get an emerging BWO that sits right in the film. I still like antron on midges for the touch of sparkle.

Sean, If you fish any of the tailwaters out west you can get by with size 20 flies but you will often get outfished 10 to one by the guy fishing 24 and 26 stuff. I experienced it on the green and it is especially true on the san juan where the river is a soup of micro midge larva. Big fish get bigger eating that tiny stuff all day long.